Being in a different place, hearing the children's lovely voices, no father's heart would not be stirred.
Zhan Bei Jue also really wanted to see them, but unfortunately, not now.
"Daddy isn't here, Daddy is out talking business with people. Can you give the phone to Mommy?"
Ge Er returned the phone to Jiang Nan Fang.
Zhan Bei Jue told her.
"I should be able to finish my work around five-thirty. The security measures at this hotel aren't very good. Yesterday, a female guest complained to the front desk that a male guest had been ringing her doorbell in the middle of the night to harass her."
"How about this, book a family-friendly hotel, and we'll stay there tonight. You go ahead first, and I'll come find you when I finish work."
Like that.
He was working.
Jiang Nan Fang guessed as much.
"Alright then, I'll take them over first."
It wasn't very far from five-thirty anyway. By the time they got ready, Zhan Bei Jue would have almost finished.
At six o'clock, Zhan Bei Jue, dressed in an elite outfit, arrived at the family-friendly hotel.
The door opened, and seeing the four lively and adorable little ones, his heart melted completely.
He hugged each of them, then went to kiss Jiang Nan Fang.
"You actually came to check up on me? Why the sudden sense of crisis? Realizing your husband is actually quite charming?"
"You're overthinking it," Jiang Nan Fang did not cooperate with his vanity.
"I was just bored staying at home, thinking it's been a while since I took the children out to play. I'm using this opportunity for a paid vacation, and by the way—to see you."
"How is it? Did I scare you?"
"Is there anything you need to hide? Hurry up and hide it before I catch you."
Zhan Bei Jue was hit where it hurt, his expression slightly unnatural, but fortunately, Jiang Nan Fang couldn't see it as she was leaning in his arms.
He deliberately changed the subject.
"The negotiations haven't made much progress these past two days, so I plan to take a break. It's good that you're here, I'll spend time with you."
"We can plan our itinerary later. Bei Cheng has many famous historical sites, where do you want to start?"
On the way, Rui Rui and Jing Yu had already prepared the itinerary.
Hearing their father say this, the two of them brought out their tablets to show him.
Zhan Bei Jue looked at it. From transportation to weather, routes, and food, everything had been considered. The two children were truly amazing.
"You two worked hard. Tonight, Daddy will play games with you. We'll follow this itinerary."
Everyone cheered: "Yay!"
Melody went to the hospital alone to accompany her mother. Fearing that Zhan Bei Jue might need to contact her if something happened, she kept her phone on.
Sitting alone in the hospital room, she had just opened WeChat when several messages buzzed in.
There were only two contacts on this phone: Zhan Bei Jue, and a man she had added a couple of days ago whose name she didn't know yet.
All the messages were from him.
One every half hour?
And he even came to her house looking for her?
Was there something important?
Melody looked at the messages, startled by his sudden, unprompted enthusiasm.
What was he trying to do? Zhan Bei Jue wouldn't be so incompetent, would he? Didn't he explain things clearly to the other person?
Bored, she finally replied to Lu Qing Xu with her doubts.
"Is there something you need?"
Yesterday, after everyone had eaten and drunk together, and had a good laugh at the heartbroken Lu Ming Zhe, Lu Qing Xu felt much better.
It was all the same between men and women; whoever took it seriously would lose badly.
He had always been very calm before, and he wouldn't fall for a stranger in the future.
Besides, he was a man, so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
Since she didn't appreciate him, there were plenty of others who would.
Just as he was reminding himself to be clear-headed, his phone rang.
Lu Qing Xu had just woken up and was planning to get ready and go out to eat.
He thought it was a friend messaging him to pick him up, but when he grabbed it and looked, it was that woman.
That woman had replied to him!
Although it was only four short words, devoid of any emotion.
But for some reason, the depression that had been weighing on his heart all day yesterday suddenly vanished.
Before Lu Qing Xu could even manage his thoughts, his fingers were already typing.
"You're not home? Why are you replying now?"
"Mm, not home. My phone ran out of battery yesterday."
"Why did it run out of battery? Where are you now?"
From just these few words, Melody could guess.
The other party was a man with little dating experience.
He easily exposed his truest thoughts to the other party without realizing the danger. He wouldn't happen to be a...
Zhan Bei Jue did have some discerning taste, and she found him agreeable.
She smiled, unconsciously feeling a sense of superiority from being doted upon.
She forgot about his "unreasonable" behavior when he couldn't find her.
"I came to Bei Cheng on a business trip temporarily and forgot to bring my charger. What did you mean by giving me that business card again?"
He hadn't meant to ignore her. Why couldn't he have been more patient and explained things clearly?
He had rushed to push that waitress away, and now he was embarrassed.
Lu Qing Xu could only lie.
"I sent it by mistake. By the time I realized, it was too late to withdraw it, so I wanted to explain."
"You never replied, and I thought something had happened, so I went to your house to check."
Not bad, the young man was capable.
The phone vibrated, and a new message came in.
Melody exited and saw it was from Zhan Bei Jue.
"I have something to do today and won't be returning to the hotel. I won't be going for the next couple of days. Please bear with the hospital situation. Be careful alone tonight."
Since meeting him, Zhan Bei Jue had been elusive, and Melody had gotten used to it.
He was rigid and boring, and she couldn't make any loud noises while living with him. It was good that he wasn't coming back; Melody couldn't be happier.
However, having to stay here for so long, alone, with the long nights ahead...
She replied "ok" to Zhan Bei Jue, then switched back to the chat with Lu Qing Xu.
"If you're free tonight, please come to Bei Cheng. I'll send you the hotel information upon your arrival."
"..."
Lu Qing Xu, who had sworn an hour ago never to contact her again, was now helplessly agreeing.
For some reason, he hadn't spoken much with this woman, and he hadn't even seen her appearance very clearly.
He was inexplicably drawn to her.
He felt that she possessed a calm and self-possessed, powerful "older sister" charm that deeply attracted him.
It was incomparable to the fake, materialistic girls, ordinary innocent girls, or carefree young women around him.
The powerful aura that came from her innate confidence made Lu Qing Xu irresistible.
He immediately checked flights on his phone, booked the earliest available flight, and then replied to his friends that he wouldn't be joining them for dinner, as he had something to attend to and they shouldn't call him.
He rushed to the airport.
He landed around seven in the evening.
Melody sent him the hotel information, and he took a taxi there.
Upon entering the room, regardless of whether he had eaten, was hungry, or was in the mood.
Melody grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the room.